In the past six years the number of Christians in the Gaza Strip has plummeted from 4,500 to just 1,000, due to the harsh conditions under which they are living, according to the pastor of the territory’s sole Catholic church.

Building walls, whether between Israel and the Palestinian territories or the United States and Mexico, can only serve to separate people and create more isolation, said Auxiliary Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo of Seattle.

Hamas, the Islamic militant group active in the Gaza strip, has toned-down it’s program by claiming independence from the Muslim Brotherhood and by changing the rhetoric surrounding Israel. The group has been forced into international isolation by Israel and Egypt since 2007.